Assistant MRICS Surveyor Medium Size Practice

Assistant MRICS Surveyor Medium Size Practice 

 

Beach Baker Property Recruitment

Cardiff, South Glamorgan

Beach Baker Property Recruitment

Would you like to be part of one of the biggest building surveying teams in the South West? Are you struggling to get the right APC support or training? Do you want to join a young and social office? 

A well-known property consultancy with an office

APPLY NOW

Assistant MRICS Surveyor Medium Size Practice

Assistant MRICS Surveyor Medium Size Practice 

 

Beach Baker Property Recruitment

Cardiff, South Glamorgan

Beach Baker Property Recruitment

Would you like to be part of one of the biggest building surveying teams in the South West? Are you struggling to get the right APC support or training? Do you want to join a young and social office? 

A well-known property consultancy with an office

APPLY NOW

MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor – Birmingham 45 -55k Bens

City, Birmingham
Penguin Recruitment Ltd

MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor – Birmingham

£45000 – £55000 + Bens

My client is an award winning Commercial Real Estate Consultancy who are moving to brand new offices in the Centre of Birmingham. An increase in workloand means that they are expanding and urgently require a Chartered Building Surveyor to join their team.

The role offers both variety and challenge and will encompass both Professional Services and Project Management of multi million £ schemes.

To be considered for this MRICS Building Surveyor role, you must have held the MRICS qualification as a Building Surveyor for at least 1-2 years, with the following:

* Experience of Building Surveying within a Consultancy
* Exposures to Commercial sector Building Surveying
* Excellent communication skills and client facing ability
* Holder of a full UK driving license
* Ability to manage own projects

In this role of MRICS Building Surveyor, you will demonstrate and implement your expertise of professional services alongside Measured Surveys and Building Surveys, including:

* Party Wall agreements
* Dilapidations
* Project Management
* JCT/NEC3 contracts / Tenders
* Contracts administration

The role will generally involve a lot client focused and office based activity, so you must be willing to travel where required to meet clients. Our client offers a fantastic base package and bonus scheme.

For more information on this role and others in Building Surveying please call contact Nishan Dey of Penguin Recruitment on or email – 

Apply Now 

MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor – Birmingham 45 -55k Bens

City, Birmingham
Penguin Recruitment Ltd

MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor – Birmingham

£45000 – £55000 + Bens

My client is an award winning Commercial Real Estate Consultancy who are moving to brand new offices in the Centre of Birmingham. An increase in workloand means that they are expanding and urgently require a Chartered Building Surveyor to join their team.

The role offers both variety and challenge and will encompass both Professional Services and Project Management of multi million £ schemes.

To be considered for this MRICS Building Surveyor role, you must have held the MRICS qualification as a Building Surveyor for at least 1-2 years, with the following:

* Experience of Building Surveying within a Consultancy
* Exposures to Commercial sector Building Surveying
* Excellent communication skills and client facing ability
* Holder of a full UK driving license
* Ability to manage own projects

In this role of MRICS Building Surveyor, you will demonstrate and implement your expertise of professional services alongside Measured Surveys and Building Surveys, including:

* Party Wall agreements
* Dilapidations
* Project Management
* JCT/NEC3 contracts / Tenders
* Contracts administration

The role will generally involve a lot client focused and office based activity, so you must be willing to travel where required to meet clients. Our client offers a fantastic base package and bonus scheme.

For more information on this role and others in Building Surveying please call contact Nishan Dey of Penguin Recruitment on or email – 

Apply Now 

Surveyor or Chartered Surveyor?

Not all surveyors are equal – anyone can call themselves a surveyor. It’s not a protected title like an architect or solicitor. And because anyone can call themselves a surveyor they can do so with no training at all, that means they may know nothing, something or everything about their specialist field but you won’t know that when you commission them.

The chap who measures for your double glazing – the window company’s “surveyor” – probably can use a tape measure, probably can’t advise on residential leases and probably wouldn’t know where to start carrying out a forensic inspection of glazing faults.

The Chartered bit is not only protected but earned – the hard way! To become a chartered surveyor means following an approved training course of at least three years and then undertaking a minimum two year period of in work competence training followed by a professional entrance interview which if passed (and for chartered building surveyors the pass rate is a challenging 59%) allows one to become a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It’s not easy and requires a breadth and depth of knowledge and professionalism which is reflected in the service they provide.

Chartered surveyors are bound by the regulations of the RICS and their firms have to state that they are “Regulated by RICS” and to maintain a Complaint Handling Procedure. They are not regulations without teeth and disciplinary actions are regularly taken and chartered surveyors are called to account by their professional body, where appropriate their qualifications are revoked. Importantly, and unlike “surveyors” chartered surveyor firms and sole practitioners have to maintain adequate professional indemnity insurance and conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner.

You can identify a chartered surveyor with the letters MRICS (member) of FRICS (fellow) after their names. It is your assurance that the surveyor you are engaging is suitably trained, experienced and regulated with a professional system of redress should you have a complaint or cause for concern.

Pick your surveyor carefully, as a firm of chartered surveyors we meet all of the regulatory requirements of the RICS. Our surveys are always conducted by chartered surveyors with many years of appropriate experience. You can, of course, choose a surveyor who is not chartered but experienced, you may wish to use your mate the builder or you might decide not to bother (our earlier post explains why this is a bad idea). We think you and your property investment are best protected by a proper survey by a proper Chartered Building Surveyor.

Need a survey by a chartered surveyor  Jobs –  APPLY NOW 

Surveyor or Chartered Surveyor?

Not all surveyors are equal – anyone can call themselves a surveyor. It’s not a protected title like an architect or solicitor. And because anyone can call themselves a surveyor they can do so with no training at all, that means they may know nothing, something or everything about their specialist field but you won’t know that when you commission them.

The chap who measures for your double glazing – the window company’s “surveyor” – probably can use a tape measure, probably can’t advise on residential leases and probably wouldn’t know where to start carrying out a forensic inspection of glazing faults.

The Chartered bit is not only protected but earned – the hard way! To become a chartered surveyor means following an approved training course of at least three years and then undertaking a minimum two year period of in work competence training followed by a professional entrance interview which if passed (and for chartered building surveyors the pass rate is a challenging 59%) allows one to become a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It’s not easy and requires a breadth and depth of knowledge and professionalism which is reflected in the service they provide.

Chartered surveyors are bound by the regulations of the RICS and their firms have to state that they are “Regulated by RICS” and to maintain a Complaint Handling Procedure. They are not regulations without teeth and disciplinary actions are regularly taken and chartered surveyors are called to account by their professional body, where appropriate their qualifications are revoked. Importantly, and unlike “surveyors” chartered surveyor firms and sole practitioners have to maintain adequate professional indemnity insurance and conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner.

You can identify a chartered surveyor with the letters MRICS (member) of FRICS (fellow) after their names. It is your assurance that the surveyor you are engaging is suitably trained, experienced and regulated with a professional system of redress should you have a complaint or cause for concern.

Pick your surveyor carefully, as a firm of chartered surveyors we meet all of the regulatory requirements of the RICS. Our surveys are always conducted by chartered surveyors with many years of appropriate experience. You can, of course, choose a surveyor who is not chartered but experienced, you may wish to use your mate the builder or you might decide not to bother (our earlier post explains why this is a bad idea). We think you and your property investment are best protected by a proper survey by a proper Chartered Building Surveyor.

Need a survey by a chartered surveyor  Jobs –  APPLY NOW 

What is the difference between a chartered surveyor and a quantity surveyor?

You may have heard the terms Surveyor and Quantity Surveyor, but do you actually know the difference between these two occupations? What careers they will lead to and what course you should be looking at?

ISA would like to share our professional advice with you.

What are they?

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor. Surveyors use equipment like total stations, robotic total stations, GPS receivers, etc.

The professional body for this industry is Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI). Eligibility for the membership of SSSI is successful completion of recognised degrees by SSSI, and IELTS 6, no working experience required.

A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Services provided by a quantity surveyor may include cost planning and commercial management throughout the entire life cycle of a project from inception to post-completion; value determination; risk management and calculation; tender analysis and agreement of the contract sum. This occupation is more like a combination of architecture and business.

The professional body for this industry is the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS). Eligibility for the membership of AIQS is the successful completion of recognized degrees only, no IELTS or working experience required.

What kind of courses should you be thinking about to be a Surveyor or Quantity Surveyor?

To become a surveyor or a land surveyor, you should consider courses like Spatial Science, Geospatial Science, and Engineering in Surveying.

To become a quantity surveyor, you should consider Construction Management as an undergraduate course or a postgraduate course.

As different courses have different entry requirement, also not all courses are recognised by SSSI or AIQS, ISA suggests you contact our professional counsellor ASAP, or come to our office for more information!

Or, check out our website  https://www.buildingsurveyorjobs.co.uk/. Our staff is waiting to help you.

What is the difference between a chartered surveyor and a quantity surveyor?

You may have heard the terms Surveyor and Quantity Surveyor, but do you actually know the difference between these two occupations? What careers they will lead to and what course you should be looking at?

ISA would like to share our professional advice with you.

What are they?

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor. Surveyors use equipment like total stations, robotic total stations, GPS receivers, etc.

The professional body for this industry is Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI). Eligibility for the membership of SSSI is successful completion of recognised degrees by SSSI, and IELTS 6, no working experience required.

A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Services provided by a quantity surveyor may include cost planning and commercial management throughout the entire life cycle of a project from inception to post-completion; value determination; risk management and calculation; tender analysis and agreement of the contract sum. This occupation is more like a combination of architecture and business.

The professional body for this industry is the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS). Eligibility for the membership of AIQS is the successful completion of recognized degrees only, no IELTS or working experience required.

What kind of courses should you be thinking about to be a Surveyor or Quantity Surveyor?

To become a surveyor or a land surveyor, you should consider courses like Spatial Science, Geospatial Science, and Engineering in Surveying.

To become a quantity surveyor, you should consider Construction Management as an undergraduate course or a postgraduate course.

As different courses have different entry requirement, also not all courses are recognised by SSSI or AIQS, ISA suggests you contact our professional counsellor ASAP, or come to our office for more information!

Or, check out our website  https://www.buildingsurveyorjobs.co.uk/. Our staff is waiting to help you.

How do you become a building surveyor?

How do you become a building surveyor?

Why choose this course?

This course prepares you to start your career as a building surveyor. The BSc(Hons) course is fully accredited for 2020 entry by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and also carries full accreditation until July 2019 from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This can help you towards the practice qualifications needed to become a chartered surveyor.

On this course, you will gain a detailed knowledge of building maintenance, care, conservation and structures. It reflects the variety of work that building surveyors undertake. This might include: supervising a large mixed-use development; planning domestic extensions; buildings care and maintenance; design, refurbishment or alteration; and resolving disputes between neighbours or landlords and tenants.

Our strong links with industry will provide you with exciting opportunities to work on real projects and you can gain a career head start by doing a year's work placement. You'll also get to put into practice what you have learnt on an overseas field trip.

What you will study

You'll study the business and legal aspects of the property and construction industries. You'll learn how to advise clients of legal and financial implications resulting from the condition of buildings. Sustainable building design is also key to this course.

You'll also develop and practice skills for your future career, including: presenting yourself; working in teams; writing reports; debating current topics; applying IT to your discipline; and initiating and executing research projects.

Year 1 explores design. You'll examine what makes a building well or poorly designed. You'll use both sketching and computer-aided design packages. You'll study the design process, the relationship of buildings to the environment and the need for design innovation and sustainability.

Year 2 examines construction - how and why buildings fall apart. This is a key component of the knowledge base for chartered building surveyors. In the Building Maintenance and Management module you will learn how to keep buildings in use.

Year 3 includes workshops and a residential study trip. It culminates in a major group project, along with an independent research project. You will have the opportunity to combine and present all your learning from the course.

Module listing

You'll study the business and legal aspects of the property and construction industries. You'll learn how to advise clients of legal and financial implications resulting from the condition of buildings. Sustainable building design is also key to this course.

You'll also develop and practice skills for your future career, including: presenting yourself; working in teams; writing reports; debating current topics; applying IT to your discipline; and initiating and executing research projects.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list as these could change before your year of entry.

Year 1

Engineering Design and Professional Practice

Structures, Materials and Construction Methods

Applied Mathematics and Computing Applications

Construction Management and Site Investigation

Year 2

CAD and Building Science

Commercial Construction Technology

Contract Administration

Building Maintenance & Management

Year 3/4

Building Design and Application

Professional Practice in Context

The Existing Built Environment

Individual Project

Becoming a chartered surveyor

To qualify as a chartered surveyor, you must:

gain a RICS-approved academic qualification, such as a degree from Kingston University; and

successfully complete structured training, which ends in an assessment of your competence to practice (APC).

We are actively involved in APC, including preparation courses, and several staff members are RICS assessors. This means that Kingston University can help you from the start of your undergraduate degree right through to your registration as a chartered surveyor.

RICS is the leading source of land, property, construction and related environmental knowledge. The organisation:

supports 120,000 members worldwide;

promotes best practice;

represents consumers' interests; and

provides impartial advice to society, businesses, governments and global organisations.

Learn a language

You will have the opportunity to study a foreign language, free of charge, during your time at the University on a not-for-credit basis as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Find out  Latest Building Surveying  Jobs at   

How do you become a building surveyor?

How do you become a building surveyor?

Why choose this course?

This course prepares you to start your career as a building surveyor. The BSc(Hons) course is fully accredited for 2020 entry by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and also carries full accreditation until July 2019 from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This can help you towards the practice qualifications needed to become a chartered surveyor.

On this course, you will gain a detailed knowledge of building maintenance, care, conservation and structures. It reflects the variety of work that building surveyors undertake. This might include: supervising a large mixed-use development; planning domestic extensions; buildings care and maintenance; design, refurbishment or alteration; and resolving disputes between neighbours or landlords and tenants.

Our strong links with industry will provide you with exciting opportunities to work on real projects and you can gain a career head start by doing a year's work placement. You'll also get to put into practice what you have learnt on an overseas field trip.

What you will study

You'll study the business and legal aspects of the property and construction industries. You'll learn how to advise clients of legal and financial implications resulting from the condition of buildings. Sustainable building design is also key to this course.

You'll also develop and practice skills for your future career, including: presenting yourself; working in teams; writing reports; debating current topics; applying IT to your discipline; and initiating and executing research projects.

Year 1 explores design. You'll examine what makes a building well or poorly designed. You'll use both sketching and computer-aided design packages. You'll study the design process, the relationship of buildings to the environment and the need for design innovation and sustainability.

Year 2 examines construction - how and why buildings fall apart. This is a key component of the knowledge base for chartered building surveyors. In the Building Maintenance and Management module you will learn how to keep buildings in use.

Year 3 includes workshops and a residential study trip. It culminates in a major group project, along with an independent research project. You will have the opportunity to combine and present all your learning from the course.

Module listing

You'll study the business and legal aspects of the property and construction industries. You'll learn how to advise clients of legal and financial implications resulting from the condition of buildings. Sustainable building design is also key to this course.

You'll also develop and practice skills for your future career, including: presenting yourself; working in teams; writing reports; debating current topics; applying IT to your discipline; and initiating and executing research projects.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list as these could change before your year of entry.

Year 1

Engineering Design and Professional Practice

Structures, Materials and Construction Methods

Applied Mathematics and Computing Applications

Construction Management and Site Investigation

Year 2

CAD and Building Science

Commercial Construction Technology

Contract Administration

Building Maintenance & Management

Year 3/4

Building Design and Application

Professional Practice in Context

The Existing Built Environment

Individual Project

Becoming a chartered surveyor

To qualify as a chartered surveyor, you must:

gain a RICS-approved academic qualification, such as a degree from Kingston University; and

successfully complete structured training, which ends in an assessment of your competence to practice (APC).

We are actively involved in APC, including preparation courses, and several staff members are RICS assessors. This means that Kingston University can help you from the start of your undergraduate degree right through to your registration as a chartered surveyor.

RICS is the leading source of land, property, construction and related environmental knowledge. The organisation:

supports 120,000 members worldwide;

promotes best practice;

represents consumers' interests; and

provides impartial advice to society, businesses, governments and global organisations.

Learn a language

You will have the opportunity to study a foreign language, free of charge, during your time at the University on a not-for-credit basis as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Find out  Latest Building Surveying  Jobs at   

How much do building surveyors earn in the UK?

How much do building surveyors earn in the UK?

As a Building surveyor, you'll provide professional advice on property and construction, ranging from multi-million-pound structures to modest adaptations and repairs.

You'll complete detailed reports, known as building surveys; you'll identify defects and advise on repair, maintenance and restoration options. Projects include existing buildings, buildings of architectural or historic importance and the development of new ones. You may implement preventative measures to keep buildings in good condition and look for ways to make buildings sustainable.

Responsibilities

As a building surveyor, you'll need to:

ensure projects are completed on budget and to schedule

advise clients on schemes and projects and determine requirements

prepare scheme designs with costings, programs for completion of projects and specification of works

organize documents for tender and advise on appointing contractors, designers and procurement routes

determine the condition of existing buildings, identify and analyze defects, including proposals for repair

advise on energy efficiency, environmental impact, and sustainable construction

instruct on the preservation/conservation of historic buildings

advise on the management and supervision of maintenance of buildings

deal with planning applications and advise on property legislation and building regulations

assess and design buildings to meet the needs of people with disabilities

instruct on construction design and management regulations

negotiate dilapidations (when there is a legal liability for a property's state of disrepair)

carry out feasibility studies

advise on the health and safety aspects of buildings

advise on boundary and 'right to light' disputes and party wall procedures

prepare insurance assessments and claims.

Salary

Graduate building surveyors can expect to earn around £22,000 to £26,000, although in London this may be higher.

With a few years' experiences, building surveyors earn in the region of £28,000 to £50,000. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the average salary is £44,000.

Chartered building surveyors usually earn 15% more than their non-chartered counterparts. At the senior level, they can earn up to £70,000. Partners and directors have the potential to reach six-figure salaries.

Salaries vary depending on location, with central London offering the highest.

Additional benefits often include a company car, mobile telephone, and a pension.

Income data from RICS. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are generally nine to five, although you may be required to work longer hours. Meeting and socializing with clients can sometimes require out-of-hours working.

The work is much less desk-bound than some branches of surveying, with a large proportion of the working day spent on site. This may require working alone for significant periods of time.

What to expect

A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required, as the job may involve working on scaffolding and in difficult spaces. However, physically disabled surveyors are found within the profession.

Jobs are available in most areas of the country, especially if you reach chartered status.

Self-employment/freelance work is common in private practice, specializing in building surveying, or working with other specialists such as architects and quantity surveyors. In the longer term, there may be opportunities to establish your own consultancy or become a partner or corporate director.

Local/regional travel within a working day is frequent. This may be to meet with contractors to discuss technical documents or to visit clients/members of the public who have no knowledge of construction. This means that good communication will be required at all times. Overnight absence from home is uncommon.

Overseas work or travel is occasional.

Qualifications

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree in building surveying combined with technical knowledge will improve your chances.

Other subjects that may help to provide relevant knowledge include:

economics

geography

languages

mathematics

science

social sciences

urban and land studies.

Degrees are available in a range of property and construction-related subjects, accredited by RICS. Studying an RICS-accredited degree will qualify you to take the relevant training to become a chartered surveyor.

If your degree is in an unrelated topic or isn't accredited you can go on to take an RICS-accredited Masters degree, which will lead on to the chartered training. Some employers will support you through this postgraduate training while working and may be able to help with funding. For a full list of courses, see RICS Course.

HND entry is available at the surveying technician level. Technical property-related subjects, such as building surveying and building/construction, may improve your chances. The work of a surveying technician usually involves less complex tasks and comes with less responsibility. To reach the level of full surveyor you'll need to take further qualifications while working.

The Chartered Surveyors Training Trust provides opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake tutor supported surveying apprenticeships.

See RICS - Apprenticeships for more information.

Skills

You will need to have:

technical knowledge and competence

a logical and practical mind

good oral and written communication skills

the ability to build lasting relationships with clients and colleagues

negotiation, presentation and report writing skills

the ability to analyse problems in order to identify solutions

commercial awareness and the ability to ensure that you are adding maximum value to clients' businesses

the ability to take on high levels of responsibility with enthusiasm and motivation

good IT skills, including computer-aided design (CAD)

a driving licence - usually essential, especially if you're going to be involved in a design role.

Work experience

Graduates who have completed a sandwich year in industry are at a considerable advantage and are better placed to enter the job market.

However, any relevant pre-entry experience is desirable and gaining experience in vacations or on placements can help you secure a permanent job.

Employers

Building surveying is required in a variety of real estate markets, including residential, commercial, leisure, agricultural and industrial.

As a chartered building surveyor, you could work in the private, corporate, public or voluntary sectors. Typical employers include:

specialised private practices, e.g. surveying firms, specialist property consultancies and construction companies

central government, e.g. valuation office

local government, e.g. local authorities

large property-owning organisations, such as housing associations, retailers and leisure groups

public-private organisations

loss adjusters.

Professional qualifications in surveying are recognised worldwide and with a range of international property and construction firms, there are opportunities to work abroad.

Many large, private practice firms have an annual intake of graduates and may have closing dates as early as December or January of your final year. Others will accept speculative applications slightly later - contact smaller employers from around Easter. Public sector organisations rarely accept speculative applications and usually advertise vacancies as they occur.

You could consider self-employment as an option, once you've gained enough experience.

Look for job vacancies at:

Building Surveyor Jobs UK | RICS Recruit | Chartered Surveyor Jobs

Building4jobs

Property Jobs in UK | Property Manager Jobs | Estates Manager Jobs

Careers in Construction

EG Jobs

Property Week 4 Jobs

RICS Recruit

Recruitment consultants often handle vacancies in this area, including RICS-endorsed Macdonald and Company.

Building surveyor jobs

Graduate Surveyor

SQW Ltd

London

£24,501-£27,000

Source: Building surveyor

How much do building surveyors earn in the UK?

How much do building surveyors earn in the UK?

As a Building surveyor, you'll provide professional advice on property and construction, ranging from multi-million-pound structures to modest adaptations and repairs.

You'll complete detailed reports, known as building surveys; you'll identify defects and advise on repair, maintenance and restoration options. Projects include existing buildings, buildings of architectural or historic importance and the development of new ones. You may implement preventative measures to keep buildings in good condition and look for ways to make buildings sustainable.

Responsibilities

As a building surveyor, you'll need to:

ensure projects are completed on budget and to schedule

advise clients on schemes and projects and determine requirements

prepare scheme designs with costings, programs for completion of projects and specification of works

organize documents for tender and advise on appointing contractors, designers and procurement routes

determine the condition of existing buildings, identify and analyze defects, including proposals for repair

advise on energy efficiency, environmental impact, and sustainable construction

instruct on the preservation/conservation of historic buildings

advise on the management and supervision of maintenance of buildings

deal with planning applications and advise on property legislation and building regulations

assess and design buildings to meet the needs of people with disabilities

instruct on construction design and management regulations

negotiate dilapidations (when there is a legal liability for a property's state of disrepair)

carry out feasibility studies

advise on the health and safety aspects of buildings

advise on boundary and 'right to light' disputes and party wall procedures

prepare insurance assessments and claims.

Salary

Graduate building surveyors can expect to earn around £22,000 to £26,000, although in London this may be higher.

With a few years' experiences, building surveyors earn in the region of £28,000 to £50,000. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the average salary is £44,000.

Chartered building surveyors usually earn 15% more than their non-chartered counterparts. At the senior level, they can earn up to £70,000. Partners and directors have the potential to reach six-figure salaries.

Salaries vary depending on location, with central London offering the highest.

Additional benefits often include a company car, mobile telephone, and a pension.

Income data from RICS. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are generally nine to five, although you may be required to work longer hours. Meeting and socializing with clients can sometimes require out-of-hours working.

The work is much less desk-bound than some branches of surveying, with a large proportion of the working day spent on site. This may require working alone for significant periods of time.

What to expect

A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required, as the job may involve working on scaffolding and in difficult spaces. However, physically disabled surveyors are found within the profession.

Jobs are available in most areas of the country, especially if you reach chartered status.

Self-employment/freelance work is common in private practice, specializing in building surveying, or working with other specialists such as architects and quantity surveyors. In the longer term, there may be opportunities to establish your own consultancy or become a partner or corporate director.

Local/regional travel within a working day is frequent. This may be to meet with contractors to discuss technical documents or to visit clients/members of the public who have no knowledge of construction. This means that good communication will be required at all times. Overnight absence from home is uncommon.

Overseas work or travel is occasional.

Qualifications

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a degree in building surveying combined with technical knowledge will improve your chances.

Other subjects that may help to provide relevant knowledge include:

economics

geography

languages

mathematics

science

social sciences

urban and land studies.

Degrees are available in a range of property and construction-related subjects, accredited by RICS. Studying an RICS-accredited degree will qualify you to take the relevant training to become a chartered surveyor.

If your degree is in an unrelated topic or isn't accredited you can go on to take an RICS-accredited Masters degree, which will lead on to the chartered training. Some employers will support you through this postgraduate training while working and may be able to help with funding. For a full list of courses, see RICS Course.

HND entry is available at the surveying technician level. Technical property-related subjects, such as building surveying and building/construction, may improve your chances. The work of a surveying technician usually involves less complex tasks and comes with less responsibility. To reach the level of full surveyor you'll need to take further qualifications while working.

The Chartered Surveyors Training Trust provides opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake tutor supported surveying apprenticeships.

See RICS - Apprenticeships for more information.

Skills

You will need to have:

technical knowledge and competence

a logical and practical mind

good oral and written communication skills

the ability to build lasting relationships with clients and colleagues

negotiation, presentation and report writing skills

the ability to analyse problems in order to identify solutions

commercial awareness and the ability to ensure that you are adding maximum value to clients' businesses

the ability to take on high levels of responsibility with enthusiasm and motivation

good IT skills, including computer-aided design (CAD)

a driving licence - usually essential, especially if you're going to be involved in a design role.

Work experience

Graduates who have completed a sandwich year in industry are at a considerable advantage and are better placed to enter the job market.

However, any relevant pre-entry experience is desirable and gaining experience in vacations or on placements can help you secure a permanent job.

Employers

Building surveying is required in a variety of real estate markets, including residential, commercial, leisure, agricultural and industrial.

As a chartered building surveyor, you could work in the private, corporate, public or voluntary sectors. Typical employers include:

specialised private practices, e.g. surveying firms, specialist property consultancies and construction companies

central government, e.g. valuation office

local government, e.g. local authorities

large property-owning organisations, such as housing associations, retailers and leisure groups

public-private organisations

loss adjusters.

Professional qualifications in surveying are recognised worldwide and with a range of international property and construction firms, there are opportunities to work abroad.

Many large, private practice firms have an annual intake of graduates and may have closing dates as early as December or January of your final year. Others will accept speculative applications slightly later - contact smaller employers from around Easter. Public sector organisations rarely accept speculative applications and usually advertise vacancies as they occur.

You could consider self-employment as an option, once you've gained enough experience.

Look for job vacancies at:

Building Surveyor Jobs UK | RICS Recruit | Chartered Surveyor Jobs

Building4jobs

Property Jobs in UK | Property Manager Jobs | Estates Manager Jobs

Careers in Construction

EG Jobs

Property Week 4 Jobs

RICS Recruit

Recruitment consultants often handle vacancies in this area, including RICS-endorsed Macdonald and Company.

Building surveyor jobs

Graduate Surveyor

SQW Ltd

London

£24,501-£27,000

Source: Building surveyor